What You Need To Know About Elevated Cholesterol And Triglycerides

Elevated triglyceride levels are a serious health problem. This is a health condition that cannot be ignored. People who care about their blood pressure and cholesterol levels are very well aware of what’s going on in their bodies. For those who don’t know, we explain in the article below how does it come to increased levels of certain fats (lipids) in the blood. These fats can further be a major trigger for many different diseases, especially those affecting the heart.

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To maintain your cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the normal range, it’s necessary to lead a healthy life. If your diet consists of foods rich in saturated fats, you certainly endanger your health. Learn how elevated cholesterol and triglycerides affect the overall health and how you can lower them with natural cures.

Reference Ranges Of Cholesterol And Triglycerides

The first thing you need to know is that cholesterol and triglycerides are two different, but interrelated fatty substances. Specifically, these are separate types of lipids, circulating in the bloodstream. It’s quite normal for humans to have them.

Triglycerides act as a stockpile of energy, which our body spends when we consume fewer calories than we actually need. When we starve ourselves, their quantity can be equal to zero.

On the other hand, cholesterol is used for the construction and renovation of cells in our body. Most probably, you already know that there’s good (HDL) and bad (LDL) cholesterol. The main difference is that the first one contains a greater amount of lipoproteins, thus it’s considered to be good and to kind of “hunt” and control the LDL.

Cholesterol

Normal levels of the total cholesterol are 200 mg/dcl, or lower. The borderline is from 200 to 239 mg/dcl. It’s considered to be high when it goes from 240 mg/dcl and above. Keep in mind that these reference ranges are for adults, and that there’s another scale for children.

LDL cholesterol raises the risks of stroke, heart attack and other heart diseases. HDL on the other hand, it’s associated with lowering the risks of stroke, heart attack and other health diseases.

Triglycerides

The normal value of triglycerides is up to 1.7 mmol/l, or about 150 mg/dcl. The blood of athletes and physically active people usually shows these results in laboratory analysis. But, the standardized values may vary. These variations depend on the laboratory in which you’re doing your blood test. Thus, acceptable values are from 150 to 199 mg/dcl, or 1.8 to 2.2 mmol/l. These results are common in people who have consumed an alcoholic drink or ate something sweet before the extraction of blood. Elevated triglyceride levels can cause cardiovascular diseases. This is not innocuous, given the fact that the risk of heart attack, atherosclerosis and stroke increase.

In addition, liver diseases and high triglycerides are directly linked, because the increased levels of these fats lead to increased fats in this particular organ. The main cause of this condition is the increased alcohol consumption. Especially if you consume it continuously and on a daily level.

What Are The Symptoms Of Elevated Cholesterol And Triglyceride Levels

Cholesterol

High cholesterol levels are shown thru the following symptoms:

Nausea

Chest pain

Shortness of breath

Extreme fatigue

Numbness or coldness in the extremities

Aching in the neck, jaw, upper abdomen, or back

Triglycerides

Let’s talk a little bit more about triglycerides. As we mention at the beginning, this is a specific type of fat, found in the blood. When we eat, the body consumes a certain number of calories. If their amount is greater than what we need, they’ll be converted in these lipids and transported in the bloodstream. According to this, if we consume foods rich in carbohydrates, the triglyceride levels in the blood will be higher.

Thus, nutritionists will instantly advise you to reduce the intake of these foods, or to eliminate them from your diet. In this way, you’ll be able to preserve your health and protect yourself from many different diseases!

However, not all triglycerides in the blood are bad. They can also be very useful. It’s just that we need to keep them within the recommended levels, so that they can serve our body as a fuel for the cells and tissues. They can be particularly useful in times when we’re hungry, which is when our body burns the fat tissue deposits.

If your triglyceride levels are already high, the symptoms that follow this condition are easy to see. You’ll notice changes of the skin on the buttocks, arms and shoulders. These changes occur in the form of fat deposits, which at first look like red and yellow pimples. Especially, it’s easy to notice them on the elbows and knees.

What’s interesting is that you can notice these changes in just 2 hours after eating a meal full of saturated fats and carbohydrates, and they remain visible for 12 hours afterwards. Of course, if you suspect having elevated triglycerides, it’s best to check it out through laboratory analysis. This is the only relevant way to determine the exact levels of these fats.